1995 All-Area Team (Chester County)

The least amount of suspense surrounding the area ice hockey season was the selection of the Daily Local News ice hockey player of the Year.
With last year’s Vince Clevenger, far and away the area’s top player, back with West Chester East, the selection was basically a foregone conclusion.
Clevenger did not disappoint. While leading East to an undefeated regular season and the Division AAA title, Clevenger won his second consecutive Inter- County Scholastic Hockey League scoring title with 45 goals and 39 assists.
The runner-up in the scoring race, Lower Merion’s Jordan Couzens, finished 28 points behind Clevenger.
While surpassing last year’s ICSHL numbers by 17 points, Clevenger also led the league in power play goals (10), game-winning goals (5), and hat tricks (10), while finishing second in short-handed goals with four.
Add in East’s five non-league games, and Clevenger finished with 53 goals and 52 assists. “Look at the assists,” said East coach Nick Russo. “A lot of guys can score goals, especially in high school hockey, but the assists mean he is giving up the puck.”
“A lot of teams would send two guys after me once I got in the zone, so that would leave the winger wide open,” said Clevenger. “People in the stands would think I was an idiot if I didn’t pass the puck.” Unfortunately for area hockey fans, Clevenger, a junior, will not be back for his senior year at East.

In need of stronger competition to better develop his skills, Clevenger will take his talents up north to the considerably tougher competition of the New England prep school leagues.
Next season, Clevenger will suit up for the Canterbury School in New Milford, Conn.
“It was closer to home than some of the other ones I was looking at,” said Clevenger. “It’s a good hockey school, and I really liked the people I met. Plus, some of my buddies (from the Junior Flyers) are going there. It’s weird to have three guys from this area going to the same school.”
Asked what sets Clevenger apart from his peers, Russo gives an interesting answer. Vision and perspective. “What sets the sniper apart from the superstar is how they see the ice,” said Russo. “You can’t coach that; you are either born with it, or you don’t have it.

“It’s true in all sports,” added Russo. “What enables Joe Montana, a player with only average height and weight, to do what he does. In the locker room, Clevenger was as much a coach as a player. “He was like one of us,” said Russo. “He was a part of the staff. Before the games, I would give a little pep talk, and just before we went out, it became sort of a ritual for Vince to stand up and say remember guys, have fun.” Despite his personal success, Clevenger never lost sight of who he was or hockey’s place in life. “We would watch game tapes and a lot of the guys would get real nervous about seeing themselves make a mistake,” said Clevenger. “I thought it was funny when I did. Sometimes you can’t take yourself so seriously. The time to bear down is before the games and during the games. Besides that, it should be fun.”
“We had a guy on the team who was looking for his first goal, and Vince came to me and said… put him out there with me…I’ll get him the puck,” said Russo.
“I suppose every kid who plays hockey dreams of the NHL,” added Clevenger. “If I get that far, great. If not, I’ll just get married and have a kid who plays hockey.”